Anime List

No best anime list is complete without a mixed variety of shojo and shounen series. Shojo series are primarily geared toward females and shonen series are marketed primarily toward a male audience. There should also be a mix of drama, comedy, horror, romance, and fantasy, as different types of anime series appeal to different fans.

If you are looking for some anime episodes to watch, here is a list of some of the best series.

The great thing about anime is that it appeals to fans of all ages. There are series with dark and violent themes, such as Blood+, Rurouni Kenshin, Death Note, Bleach, and Hellsing. Series such as Fruits Basket, Naruto, and Fushigi Yuugi are a bit lighter, although they still feature drama. One thing you need to take into consideration before sitting down and watching an anime series is the number of episodes. How much time are you willing to invest in a story?

A series can last anywhere from 12 to 200 episodes. You cannot always go by the length of the manga upon which a series is based, either. Take Inuyasha for instance---the manga outlasted the series for years! Fortunately, a new season of the anime is currently airing, although it seems kind of rushed compared to the original series. Do not watch the new season unless you have seen all 167 episodes of the original series, or have read the manga to the end.

Some of the shorter series on the list include Fruits Basket (26 episodes), Cowboy Bebop (26 episodes), Code Geass (25 episodes), Vampire Knight (26 episodes) and Hellsing (16 episodes). Series with average lengths include Blood+ (50 episodes), Fushigi Yuugi (52, not including OVAs), and Rurouni Kenshin (95 episodes). As for Rurouni Kenshin, you should check out the prequel OVA "Samurai X" before watching the series.

Inuyasha, Naruto, and Bleach are all super long animes with additional specials and full-length movies. Each series has numerous, complicated storylines, so do not bother watching unless you have the patience to start from the beginning. Many series on the best anime list have not ended yet and are still in production. In fact, the last episode of Bleach will not air until later this month! And, as mentioned above, new Inuyasha episodes are also airing, but since 200+ manga issues are being covered in 26 episodes, many fans consider the new series to be somewhat rushed.